Thursday, February 11, 2016

Where Most Anti-Missionaries Go Wrong 2

In the second post on this topic, I'll be discussing another concept that I haven't heard by many anti-missionaries. I'll explain why they sweep it under the rug and why they shouldn't. Please see the first post, as well, as the points I made there are likely the most important that could be made on this topic.In Talmud, Brakhoth 18b, the Sages state: "Tzadikim are called living [even] in their deaths, as it says, "Benayahu ben Yehoyada`, son of a living man, great in deeds, from Qavse'el: he smote two mighty men of Mo'av, and he went down and smote the lion inside a pit on a snowy day." (Samuel II, 23:20)"

It is known that great tzadikim are more able in their 'deaths' than in while living, because when they pass away from this world, they're uninhibited by the physicality of the world. Their Torah, their teachings, and their deeds are what continue on and what we can draw from. And as we learn the Torah of a great tzadik, we should bind our souls with his.

A tzadik whose Torah is being learned moves his lips in the grave as the learner recites his words. This brings great spiritual pleasure to this tzadik.

Tzadikim don't rot in the grave. Their bodies remain in tact. A tzadik, as explained in the previous post on this topic, is not merely referring to one whose good deeds outweigh his sins (see Mishne Torah, hil. Teshuva for this definition), rather we are talking about a great man who has completely annulled the desires of his flesh: greed, the urge for food and drink, and especially the lust for sex. These men conquered their natural inclinations to a great degree in order to serve HaShem unhindered - this is their level. As explained there, Yosef was one to be specifically called a tzadik, mainly because of the test of sexual lust that he went through and passed. This is primarily what defines who is a tzadik, since sexual lust is the main trial of a person on this earth.

So we see that tzadikim are called living, even after they 'die'. All truly observant Jews must believe this, because it is a matter of emunat hakhamim, belief in the authority of the Sages and tzadikim.

Why don't anti-missionaries mention this? Because they fear believers in Yeshu may try to use this to back up some claim of their regarding their false messiah and idol? That would be my guess. But if that's so - why be scared of these bogus claims?

I think I've been getting at something which needs to be said. Jews have taken an all-too passive stance about Christianity. Even the hardest hitting anti-missionary likely won't mention Toldot Yeshu. Why? Because Jews were persecuted for their beliefs for so long? There were forced debates between Rabbis and Christian priests and pastors, wherein the Rabbi was forced to lose the debate or if he won, Jews would be attacked or perhaps even massacred?

Let's get our facts straight: Yeshu was a mamzer, he claimed his father was God and not the Roman soldier, whom Yeshu killed, and who was really his father. Yeshu performed sorcery and used Divine Names he didn't have the authority or permission to use, in order to perform miracles and sway some unlearned and weak minded people to his cause.

Yeshu died, and and didn't ascend to Heaven. He made a huge mistake and as Onkelos found out before becoming a Jew, Yeshu paid for it by boiling in excrement as his punishment in Geihinnom, as Onkelos summoned Yeshu, among others, and kind of interviewed them, before he decided to become a Jew. This wise man ended up writing Targum Onkelos.

Why don't anti-missionaries say this? Because they don't want to anger believers in Yeshu. They want to come across as 'civil' and 'respecting', and not be labeled as hateful or something else. It fits very nicely into the whole western societal idiocy that infects so many. Why can't they just call a spade a spade? I'm not here to bash any of them, truly, I think many do some great work, just that it only goes so far. It's incomplete, if they won't choose to refrain from candy coating the truth.

Sometimes, being extremely forward and honest, even when it seems harsh, is the best way to affect people. That is, instead of being nice about disagreeing. No doubt, it will shock people at first. They'll become defensive and might even strengthen their belief in their idol when someone so truthfully calls him out for what he is. However, in the long run, it will do a lot of damage. When they hear a person speaking the truth about who they consider so great, they'll recognize in part that the truth has been spoken. On some subconscious level, this will bother them in the long run and eventually they might feel the need to come to terms with this conflict and really look for the truth.

Appealing to emotions, and candy-coating the truth only works to gather in the weak who aren't totally in it for the truth. Telling it like it is might drive away the not-so-serious and draw the real truth-seekers out of their follies. I think that's a heck of a lot better, if you ask me.

So, why do I have no problem mentioning the fact that tzadikim are truly living even after they've passed away? Because Yeshu wasn't a tzadik. Yeshu was the opposite to the extreme. It's a no contest, there's not a doubt about it, not a single question in my mind, and therefore, why would I be scared to mention this? What do I care if some unlearned fool who likely hates the Talmud, would like to try to use this quote to support their idolatry? I don't care, let them try to use it and let me set them straight. They already use many verses from the Tanakh which have nothing to do with their beliefs and can be easily proven to not be referring in any way, shape, or form to their idol. Big deal! The ones who are serious will know better. The ones who are brainwashed Jesus drones will likely never snap out of it. That isn't my problem. My only obligation is to tell the truth and announce it loud and clear, and to use whatever skills or ability HaShem has granted me with to spread the truth of HaShem and his true tzadikim.

7 comments:

was a warrior of King Dovid and later served as the head general of King Shlomo and head of the Sanhedrin. He was a son or great grandson of Yehoyada Hakohen. He was a master Kabbalist and renown for his Yichudim meditations. Benayahu helped capture Ashmadi in King Shlomo's quest to find the Shamir worm. He is buried in Biriya right out of Tzfat.

2 years a go, my daughter, a descendant of שלמה, married מאור exactly on this place.Why???To make sure that this warrior TZADIK will help them. The only worm that touches a real TZADIK, is the SHAMIR, to build the HOUSE OF HASHEM.

There are several reasons I think it's obvious that Toldot Yeshu is authentic, real.

1. It adds details to the account of one of the Yeshus in the Gemara.2. Jews in Europe who were getting persecuted, killed, expelled by Christians wouldn't want to stir things up and warrant greater evil for themselves by making some "offensive parody".3. It is quite explicit and it definitely must be forbidden to claim certain Sages did something when they really did not.4. Some people would say the Sages were wrong in some of their decisions on what to do with Yeshu and the people of `Ai. A parody wouldn't present things like this - at all!

I think the rabbis who do think it's authentic likely won't say so as not to "offend", and others will say it's not authentic, because they, too, are pushovers.

Many Jews have the 'beaten wife syndrome'. Our leadership definitely does, the most. We're not ready to tell the truth, it's gotten very bad. Even anti-missionaries don't go into any real detail, they keep everything at vague explanations based only on Tanakh. It still works, but it's minimal.

Also, I am not too familiar with the Tzadik. I can see clearly a difference between Yeshu who claimed to be G-d and the Tzadik who only live holy lives in accordance to Torah. What would you say to someone who would bring the Tzadik in defence of their idolatrous belief in Yeshu? Would you bring the Toldot Yeshu? First it's rather hypocritical to bring the Tzadik when follower of Yeshu don't believe in the Tzadik and when the Tzadik did not believe in Yeshu. And in a way, it's irrelevant for them to say that the Jews pray to holy men. What would be the main difference, and how would you destroy their argument. I would like to avoid metioning the Toldot Yeshu, as it's my wife's "messianic" "pastor"...Thanks for your insight.

P.S. My wife is starting to have serious doubts about Yeshu... but she does not look convince about Judaism either. Pray for us. Cheers.

The term Tzadik covers a wide range of people. All the Patriarchs and the 12 sons of Ya`aqov, all the Prophets, Kings, Sages, etc, are all Tzadikim.

However, the Zohar speaks of a kind of Messiah (Messiah is also a broad terms, all Kings and Kohanim were Messiahs), who is called Moses-Messiah. This soul reoccurres throughout history to further reveal Torah revelations to Israel. Rashbi who authored the Zohar was an occurrence of this soul, as was the Ari z"l (R' Yitzhaq Luria), the Ba`al Shem Tov, and R' Nahhman. Their purpose was to further direct Israel in serving HaShem via revealing new Torah insights to Israel - like Moshe Rabeinu.

Yeshu didn't do that, he didn't reveal Torah, all the 'good' things he supposedly said and might have said, that the "NT" quotes of him, are all found in Rabbinic literature, Talmud and/or Midrashim. Not all of them are exactly, correct though. This would make sense that he actually did say some good teachings, because he was originally a student of R' Yehoshua` Ben Perahhya, but Yeshu later became involved in Egyptian mysticism and other things after having rebelled against his rabbi. So it makes sense there would be a mixture of things there.

But the point is, Yeshu didn't expand on the Torah, he revealed nothing comprehensive, definitely no new Torah insights, and Christianity has no laws. All the "profound" things they claim Yeshu said, are known by all observant Jews, and Christians take them out of context entirely. For example "love your neighbor as yourself, upon this the whole Torah is based", that's from R' Hillel, not Yeshu. The whole Torah is summed up into two categories: those out of love for HaShem, and those out of love for your fellow Israelite. Love means doing what's in everyone's best interest, spiritually, not a false idea that most people have, about what love is. Christianity says that all there is is "love your neighbor", nothing more, no commandments, and that "neighbor" replies to anyone and everyone, and that Yeshu annulled the Torah.